New Belgiums Tour de Flat Raises of $535,000

New Belgium Brewing today announced that Tour de Fat, the traveling
tour of philanthropic bicycle advocacy, raised $535,924 for local
nonprofits this season, totaling more than $3 million in its 14-year
stretch. This year’s total is up almost $40,000 from last year. The
event is free, yet all proceeds from beer and merchandise sales and
donations from parade participants go to nonprofit organizations
focused on making communities a better place to ride a bike.

Tour de Fat celebrates the fun side of bicycle culture, kicking off
each festival with a costumed bike parade through city streets. Upon
the parade’s completion, thousands of friends rock the park all day
with eclectic entertainment, New Belgium beer, bike-themed
activities, delicious local food and so much more. The events also
encouraged people to think twice about recycling, with an impressive
85 percent of waste diverted from landfills.

Tour de Fat traveled to 12 cities between May and October, attracting a
total of 97,500 beer and bike enthusiasts and 57,359 bike parade participants
(up 23,100 attendees and 8,096 riders from 2012). New Belgium’s hometown of Fort
Collins, Colo. raised the most money ($90,000), and had the most festival-goers
and parade riders, both totaling 25,000 people. To see how each city performed,
a breakdown is included below.

Tour de Fat also hosted the seventh annual car-for-bike swap, where one
brave role model in each city stepped on stage to trade in car keys and
pledge to live car-free for one year. Each swapper received a $2,250 stipend
to buy their own commuter bike in exchange for their car. Vehicles for
Charity auctioned the swapped cars, with proceeds benefitting Tour De Fat’s
local nonprofit partners. Each of the swappers is encouraged to blog about
their adventures as a two-wheeled local rock star. To read their tales from
the road, visit the car-for-bike trade blog at http://trademycarforabike.tumblr.com/.

“Each year just gets better as Tour de Fat extends its reach into
communities to share bike love in the most colorful way possible,” said Matt
Kowal, Tour De Fat Impresario. “It’s where you can find flamboyant costumes
and entire families dancing in the park; it’s the look of communities
raising money together alongside funky musicians and mind-blowing
magicians.”

“We thank everyone who takes the time to make this kind of magic happen,”
added Kowal. “It just feels good!”

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of
Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s
Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small
Businesses. The 100% employee-owned brewery is a Platinum-level
Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American
Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses,
and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews
eight year-round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale
Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey
Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.